Shape-retaining cap



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Aug- 27, 1957 F. K. LlP'ScHUTz 2,803,828

SHAPE-RETAINING CAP Filed April 2e, 1955 INVENroR. FRANK K.- LIPSCHUTZ ArTofNe-Ys SHAPE-RETAINING CAP Frank K. Lipschutz, Louisville, Ky., assignor to Louisville Cap Corporation, Louisville, Ky., a corporation of Kentucky Application April 26, 1955, Serial No. 503,879

3 Claims. (Cl. 2-195) This invention relates generally to c-aps, but has reference more particularly to a cap which maintains its shape under all conditions of use.

A primary object of the invention is to provide a cap of the character described, which resists bending, crushing, denting and creasing, and retains its shape under all conditions.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cap of the character described, which has a desired curvature or roundness in a vertical plane at the body joint, without the use of the conventional grommet.

A further object of the invention is to provide a cap of the character described, whi-ch has a maximum of durability and a maximum degree of ventilation.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Fig. l is a side elevational View of a cap embodying the invention, and

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. l.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, it will be understood that although the invention is shown and described in connection with a military cap, that it may be used in connection with conventional types of dress caps, shop caps, chauffeur caps, and the like.

The cap will be seen to comprise a cap body, generally designated by reference numeral 1, a band portion 2, which is secured to the cap body, and a visor 3, which is secured to the band portion 2.

The body portion consists essentially of an upper fabric portion 4 and a lower fabric portion 5. The portion 5, in accordance with conventional practice, may consist of three segments which are sewn together at their ends.

Disposed immediately below the fabric portion 4 is a layer 6 of a material which is relatively stiff or rigid, as compared with the fabric portions 4 and 5, but which is sufficiently flexible to be bent or creased, yet has sutiicient resiliency to cause it to return to its original shape or condition upon release of the forces or pressures which tend to bend or crease it. The material, in other words, is a shape-retaining, resilient, semi-rigid or self-supporting material, which possesses all of these characteristics irrespective of the direction in which it is bent or creased. The material, moreover, is preferably of an open weave, so as to provide for maximum ventilation of the cap. A preferred stiffening material for this purpose is Nylon mesh, having a melamine finish or coating, although other materials having the same or similar characteristics may be employed.

Disposed immediately below the layer 6 is a cap lin ing 7, made of conventional lining material, and disposed immediately below the lining 7, and secured to the latter as by stitching 7a, is a layer or iilm 8 of clear or transparent plastic, which has a waterproofing function and it States Patent C) prevents the lining 7 from becoming soiled by the head of the wearer.

The body portion 4, layer 6, lining 7 and layer 8 are of generally circular form, and, with the exception of the layer 8, are provided at their peripheral edges with inturned hems 9, 10 and 11 respectively.

The lower fabric portion 5 of the cap is provided at its upper edge with an inturned hem 12, and immediately behind the portion 5 is a layer 13 of a material whi-ch is identical with the material from which the layer 6 is made, the layer 13 being provided at its upper edge with an inturned hem 14.

The hems 9, 10 and 11 are sewn to the hems 12 and 14 by a line of stitching 15, so that the hemmed edges are in contiguity with each other, as at 16. The hems 9, 10 and 11 are secured to each other and to the layers of which they are integral parts by means of a line of stitching 18.

There is also provided an annular strip 19, which is also made of a material which is identical with the ma* terial from which the layers 6 and 13 are made, this strip overlying the hems 12 and 9 and overlapping the joint 16, and being secured, as by a line of stitching 28, to the hems 12 and 14, this same line of stitching also securing these hems to each other and to the layers 5 and 13 of which they are integral parts. The strip 19 is also secured to the hems 9, 10 and 11 by the line of stitching 18.

The lower fabric portion 5 and layer 13 are secured, as by stitching 21, to a bandliner 22, band reinforcer or stiffener 23, and band 2. Reference numeral 24 denotes the conventional leather sweat band.

With the foregoing exceptions, the construction of other parts of the cap is more or less conventional, and need not, therefore, be described.

The layers o and 13, and annular strip 19 provide a stiffener for the body of the cap which resists bending, creasing, crushing or denting of the cap body and enables such body to retain its original shape under all conditions. At the same time, they provide sufficient flexibility to permit momentary bending, creasing, crushing or denting and sufficient resiliency to cause all portions of the cap body to return to their original shape or condittion upon release of the forces or pressures which cause such momentary bending, creasing, crushing or denting.

The annular strip 19 provides added rigidity at the joint between the upper and lower portions of the cap body, and imparts to this joint a desired roundness or curvature in a vertical plane, which stiffness or roundness is attained in conventional military caps by means of a separate grommet or ring-like member which is inserted in the cap for these purposes. The strip 19, in other words, eliminates the necessity of such a grommet. The strip 19 also aids in maintaining the circular shape of the cap.

A cap constructed in accordance with this invention is far more durable than caps of this type heretofore available, maintains its shape under all conditions, and has a maximum degree of ventilation.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention, herewith shown and described, is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of my invention, or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

l. In a cap of the character described, a body comprising an upper and lower portion, said upper portion comprising a layer of fabric having a hem at its peripheral edge, said lower portion comprising a layer of fabric having a hemmed edge, said upper and lower portions providing a joint therebetween, layers of shape-retaining,

Patented Aug. 27, 1957` resilient material of open mesh underlying said fabric layers and having hems at peripheral edges thereof which are sewn to the hems of the fabric layers, said hems of said fabric layers` being disposed at an angle to each other and defining a recess therebetween, and a strip disposed in said recess and bent to conform to the `walls of said recess, said strip being sewn to the hems of said fabric layers, and being made of the same material as `said layers of resilient material, said strip providing rigidity at said joint and imparting to this joint a desired roundness or curvature in a vertical plane.

2. A cap, as dened in claim 1, in which said strip is of substantially ti-shaped cross-section.

3; In a cap of the character described, a body comprising a circular upper portion and a substantially annular lower portion, said upper portion comprising a layer of fabric having a hem at its peripiheral edge, said lower portion having a hem at its upper edge, layers of shaperetaining, resilient material of open mesh underlying said fabric layers and having hems at peripheral edges thereof which are sewn to the hems of the fabric layers, said herns of said fabric layers forming a joint therebetween,

said fabriclayers being connected to each other by stitching which passes through said layers of resilient material and across said joint, said hems of said fabric layers being disposed at an angle to each other and dening an annular recess therebetween, and a strip disposed in said recess and bent to conform to and lie adjacent the walls of said recess, said strip being sewn to the hems of said fabric layers, and being made of a shape-retaining, resilient material, said strip providing rigidity at said joint.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNlTED STATES PATENTS 1,055,051 Knowles Mar. 4, 1913 1,210,119 Weber Dec. 26, 1916 1,380,703 Carlson June 7, 1921 2,616,091 Luttge Nov. 4, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 23,606 Great Britain Dec. 5, 1894 15,993 Great Britain July 10, 1911 8,001 Great Britain Apr. 5, 1913 

